Gannett announces 700 newspaper redundancies

Gannett, the US parent company of Newsquest in the UK, has announced 700 newspaper redundancies.

The Gannett Blog has published a memo from U.S. newspapers division President Bob Dickey distributed to more than 20,000 employees at virtually all Gannett's 82 U.S. newspapers.

It reads:

CONFIDENTIAL: CONTAINS PROPRIETARY BUSINESS INFORMATION -- NOT FOR PUBLIC DISSEMINATION

June 21, 2011
To: All US Community Publishing employees
From: Bob Dickey

As we reach the mid-point of the year, the economic recovery is not happening as quickly or favorably as we had hoped and continues to impact our U.S. community media organizations. We have made continued progress on the many initiatives underway to seek new sources of revenue, build a world class sales force and better serve our customers through watchdog reporting and stronger Sunday newspapers. While we are seeing improved circulation results and audience growth, weakness in the real estate sector, slow job creation and now softer auto ad demand continue to challenge revenue growth in the division.

National advertising remains soft and with many of our local advertisers reducing their overall budgets, we need to take further steps to align our costs with the current revenue trends. Each of our local media organizations faces its own market conditions, challenges and opportunities. Therefore, it has been up to each local publisher to determine his or her unique course of action.

While we have sought many ways to reduce costs, I regret to tell you that we will not be able to avoid layoffs. Accordingly, approximately 700 employees within USCP, or about 2% of our company’s overall workforce, will be let go. Publishers will notify people today and we will make every effort to reach everyone by end of day. It is important to note that these decisions do not reflect individual performance and we thank and respect those employees for their work. We will do everything we can to help them and to minimize the impact on our other employees going forward. In an effort to reduce the number of people being let go, there will be furloughs in the coming months but they will be limited only to those on the USCP corporate payroll who make over a certain salary. You will be notified by your publisher if you are among this group.

These have been extremely difficult and painful decisions to make. I know the impact is felt by everyone within USCP and companywide.

I appreciate and thank you for all that you do to create and deliver award-winning journalism to our customers and communities every day. Even under these challenging circumstances, I know you will continue to do so and your efforts are greatly appreciated by our customers and colleagues within Gannett.

As always, please feel free to email me directly at rdickey@gannett.com with any questions you may have.

Regards,

Bob

According to the Gannett Blog: "Today's disclosure of 700 newspaper layoffs is the single largest round since July 2009, when the U.S. newspaper division eliminated about 1,400 jobs, mostly through layoffs. This is the fourth mass layoff since August 2008."

News Shopper NUJ members in second 'no confidence' vote in Newsquest management

NUJ members at the Newsquest-owned News Shopper newspaper have unanimously voted no confidence in their South London Newsquest management, the union said today.

The move reflects a similar vote this month by Newsquest colleagues in Sutton and Twickenham who are now balloting on industrial action with a result due at the end of the month.

The News Shopper journalists voted no confidence in their regional managing director Roger Mills and director of advertising Dene Stuart.

The NUJ says the vote came after the newsroom was required to take an overnight cut of £35,000 in its editorial budget, resulting in the compulsory redundancy of the News Shopper's deputy editor. It also says journalists were also told that there will be no pay rise at News Shopper for a fourth consecutive year.

A letter to management from the News Shopper NUJ chapel said: “Newsquest lifted its moratorium on pay rises across the group this year and a large number of centres across the group have already received a two per cent pay rise. Although two per cent may could be considered paltry when one takes into account people have waited three years to receive it, it was nevertheless a welcome addition to people's pay packets.

“Our pay claim was lodged in January when no warning of redundancy was in existence, let alone any redundancies announced. Yet despite an agreement which binds News Shopper to open negotiations once the claim has been received, no talks were forthcoming and still have not materialised, despite further requests."

Journalists in 'no confidence' vote at Newsquest

The NUJ says its members have passed a vote of no confidence in two senior managers at Newsquest South West London following the announcement of further redundancies at the company.

The unanimous votes by NUJ members against managing director Roger Mills and director of advertising Dene Stuart came after a company decision to make an unspecified number of editorial staff redundant while the group's titles continue to make substantial profits, claims the union.

It says members believe the redundancies, which will take place within the next three months, are a direct result of Roger Mills’ management after he took on responsibility for Newsquest East London and Newsquest London in addition to his role as managing director of Newsquest South London.

The journalists say they have also lost confidence in Dene Stuart over his failure to implement new ideas to bring in revenue through the group's well-read newspapers and websites.

• Journalists working for Newsquest in South London are to ballot on industrial action over redundancies. The ballot of 25 NUJ members working at Sutton and Twickenham will begin on Monday, May 16 with a result due at the end of the month.

Newquest NUJ journalists in North back strike

Newsquest journalists in the North of England who are in the NUJ have voted for strike action in a bid to stop plans by the newspaper group cutting14 jobs in Darlington and York.

Management wants to transfer editorial production of Newsquest’s free weekly titles in Darlington and York, together with paid-for weeklies and magazines, to Bradford over the next six months. Sub-editing of the dailies would remain at the existing locations.

NUJ northern and midlands organiser Chris Morley said: “In addition to industrial action, we are also considering whether the proposed transfer of work may be in breach of employment law. This could have serious financial consequences for Newsquest."

The NUJ said it has sought region-wide consultation on the management proposals from Newsquest’s regional managing director but tit was turned down.

Southern Daily Echo FoC facing redundancy

The NUJ FoC at the Newsquest-owned Southern Daily Echo in Southampton, Simon Straker, the paper's deputy sports editor, is understood to be one of the staff selected for redundancy.

Straker, who led the chapel during a series of strikes which ended with journalists getting a pay rise, is said to be going through the paper's appeal process over the redundancy.

A ballot on industrial action over staff cuts is currently taking place at the Echo and the result should be declared next Monday.

NUJ to ballot Newsquest staff in North on action

Nearly 80 NUJ members in the North of England are to vote on industrial action to stop plans by Newsquest to axe 14 jobs in Darlington and York.

Management wants to transfer editorial production of Newsquest’s free weekly titles in Darlington and York, together with paid for weeklies and magazines, to Bradford over the next six months. Sub-editing of the dailies would remain at the existing locations.

NUJ members at Darlington, Durham, Northallerton, Bishop Auckland and York will take part in the ballot, which closes on Tuesday May 3. The NUJ said it sought region-wide consultation on the management proposals from Newsquest’s regional managing director.

The union said this was necessary because of the nature of the plans involving three journalist chapels so that a better idea could be ascertained of what the impact would be. But this was turned down.

NUJ northern and midlands organiser Chris Morley said: “Newsquest needs to convince us, their staff and in all probability themselves, that this plan can work but management has shied away from that debate. At some point Newsquest will have to stop the cuts and start taking all their staff with them – in all senses of the words.

“Journalists at Newsquest have endured a series of damaging job cuts and illogical centralisation of editorial production through schemes which are destroying the quality of their newspapers and reader confidence. The effect on the morale of dedicated professional journalists has been shocking.

“So, the decision to vote on industrial action was inevitable following the latest attack on jobs and security by this discredited management. The NUJ is ready to defend our members and quality journalism with fierce determination”

NUJ says 14 jobs to go at Newsquest in the North

The NUJ says journalists at three Newsquest centres were today told the company plans to centralise sub-editing operations in the North of England with a loss of 14 jobs.

The union says members reacted angrily at Darlington and York, after they were told production jobs there would disappear and work would be transferred to Bradford where four new positions would be created.

Under the plans, according to the NUJ, editorial production of the free weekly titles in Darlington and York, as well as the paid for weeklies and magazines at Darlington and York, would go to Bradford over the next six months. Sub-editing of the dailies would remain at the existing locations.

The move comes, the union says, just weeks after management at Darlington finally completed a painful reorganisation of editorial production that combined weekly and daily subbing operations, costing a number of jobs as part of a cost-cutting programme. This time round the company wants to complete consultation over the planned redundancies in 30 days or less, despite some parts of the reorganisation not taking place until September.

NUJ northern and midlands organiser Chris Morley said: “Our members in Newsquest are punch-drunk from the continuous stream of highly damaging cuts that issue forth from this discredited management in Newsquest.

“We have seen all over the country where editorial production is centralised, impossible demands are made on journalists who choose to stay and within a year or two they are broken up and return to the local centres with massive damage done to staff morale and reader confidence.

“This move by Newsquest is a one way ticket to oblivion. We will defend our members with all powers at our disposal.”